Pace introduced a new initiative at the beginning of the 2013-2014 academic year. First Year Interests Groups, otherwise known as FIGs, have been designed with the resident in mind to help with the transition from high school to college.
During summer orientation, first-year students were surveyed and offered a few choices of their interests. By selecting from a list of categories that were of interest to them, students were then placed with other students who shared similar interests. These selections were different community interests that were assigned to the different residence halls on both the Pleasantville and Briarcliff campuses. Some of the FIGs include extreme sports and multicultural diversity.
“My section is multicultural based,” Resident Assistant and junior biology major Yarlie Pierre-Louis said. “At the beginning of the semester, I hosted a tasting event with food from different cultures—French, American, Indian, etc. It gave residents a chance to try a different cuisine.”
By grouping students in a community with others of similar interests, Resident Assistants (RAs) are able to target activities and ideas to their audience. However, some older residents and RAs are skeptical as to whether or not the program is really beneficial.
A concern was that many students were unaware that they were residing in a FIG hall, or a specific section. This can pose the issue of whether or not students are getting the most out of their first year, a worry that RAs are trying to combat.
Most recently, the FIG program tried to branch out to the community through a trip to Salem, Massachusetts. On Oct. 20, residents boarded a bus to Salem, where they visited the town and saw a reenactment of the Salem Witch Trials.
“Valley, North, and Dow students were invited for the day trip,” senior information systems major Hannah Cherian said. “In the spirit of Halloween, we decided to go because a lot of media surrounds it. We thought it would be a good idea to bring students to this interesting location.”
The bus full of students enjoyed the day’s many activities. Throughout the day, the group walked around Salem and went on ghost tours, which Cherian said gave insight to the history of the town. This was also the first trip for the FIG program, and is not anticipated be the last.
First year students that wish to learn more about the FIG program or find out which FIG they belong to are encouraged to contact their Resident Assistant.